El Cartel

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Reviews

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  Martina Renfer

  (Translated by Google) Best tacos I've ever had (Original) Beste Tacos die ich je hatte

  28-01-2023
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  Icker Larrauri

  28-06-2022
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  Ryan Cardiff

  A big fan of Mexican restaurants but was sadly let down by the food and service at El Cartel. The food arrived at different intervals which we were told would be the case prior to taking our seats due to how busy it was during evening service. Normally that would not be an issue but the delay was beyond what was expected with some members of our group not receiving any of their food for over an hour in comparison to some who would receive their orders in quick succession. As a result of this, the group dynamic was not an enjoyable one as many of us were simply watching one of our group consume their food while we awaited the next plate. The food itself left much to be desired with the tacos themselves been very bland and the soft shells being extremely dry. It was safe to say our group were well and truly blasted by the end of our meal. The drinks were an acquired taste to say the least. Most of the Margaritas were serviceable but some were borderline experimental and the non-alcoholic variants were too sour with paprika lining the glass simply leaving an unpleasant after taste. Considering the prices being charged for the drinks, a higher standard was expected. Finally, the service itself was very poor. Our server arrived at our table when half of us had not even received our food asking if he could remove our plates. We corrected him in saying we were still waiting for food to which no response was given and he quickly departed. Upon arriving with the bill afterwards, a member of our group expressed disappointment in our meal to which the server began to make rebuttals expressing their defence for the kitchen. Normally I can understand the response but considering we paid nearly £200 for our meal, and as paying customers, we felt like we were entitled to express our grievances. Sadly no member of management came up to ask for feedback or to apologise for the food not being to our satisfaction after the complaint was made. Overall I would not recommend visiting El Cartel, I am sure others will enjoy the food/drinks but I do believe there are better restaurants in Edinburgh where you can spend £200 and get much better value for it.

  28-05-2022
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  Lucy Burns

  Shocked and appalled at the service, food and treatment at el cartel. On arrival our group was told the food would arrive at different times; single dishes came out at frustratingly long intervals, with one member of the group who was vegetarian was waiting over an hour for anything to eat. The food itself, portion was extremely small, overpriced and not tasty. When asked how everything was prior to payment, the staff member was extremely rude, unapologetic, and excused that we were told to expect this poor service on arrival. Furthermore we were seated by a door- which was wide open the entire meal, leaving our group freezing. When the bill came it was thrown on the table without a thanks or whether we would need the card machine. I would strongly advise anyone considering going here to go to McDonald’s for better value and better tasting food. Feeling ripped off and insulted.

  28-05-2022
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  Murat Ozgur Kara

  28-05-2022
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  Kurt Clauss

  I went in with high expectations given the young crowd and upbeat nature of the restaurant but was sadly let down by the drinks and certain items on the menu. The drinks were perfectly fine priced (Tommy marg and the base marg) but their size was laughable and our group decided not to order additional drinks given their diminutive size. The Tommy version was drinkable but I ordered the normal version just to try it and I like 75% of it in the glass as was absurdly sour and undrinkable. The food prices for tacos were actually very reasonable and the tacos were very well filled with meat and veg. I applaud their ambitious filling of the tacos but the flavors were very muted relative to real mexican food or comparable restaurants in the states. The quesadilla was also drenched in sauce so the fact it was seared and crispy was washed away under a bath of watery pico and other toppings. Overall I would suggest more aggressive seasoning and making the guac fresh as you could tell it sat in a fridge for several hours and was bland. The service was good and the ambience is actually great as it is very lively. Overall not a negative experience but I would expect much better flavors and margs from a mexican/taco restaurant.

  28-05-2022
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  C M

  Hey amigos, I really love El Cartel. The food is great and the staff have always been super friendly. I want to know if you plan to add more to the Vegan menu soon?

  28-05-2022
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  Rich Kenney

  We're English scum up from London, spoilt for choice back home, and this blows them all.out the water. Full of taste, lovely staff, great little cosy place. Book ahead or go in the daytime like we did and miss all the work traffic.

  28-05-2022
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  Phillip Sparkes

  I'm sat on the sofa and thinking of that amazing Mexican restaurant we went too. Couldnt recommend this place enough, we went a few years back in 2018 and still to this day... Think about this place. Highly recommend.

  28-05-2022
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  Down the Hatch

  28-05-2022